[Updated at 10:30 p.m. ET] A man who helped subdue the gunman in Saturday's Arizona shooting spree said the man was trying to reload when he was tackled to the ground.

"He was ready for war. He was not playing around," Joe Zamudio told CNN. "He was going to keep shooting. It was not over. He had just ran out of bullets."

The gun, which another bystander had wrestled from the gunman, was empty and cocked open, and the shooter had another magazine at the ready, Zamudio said.

Zamudio pinned him to the ground until police showed up. The suspect, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, is in custody of the Pima County Sheriff's Office, and authorities are obtaining search warrants for a residence and his vehicle. Authorities also are seeking a person of interest but his suspected connection to the incident is unclear.

Loughner is accused of shooting 18 people, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, a third-term Democrat who had organized the "Congress on Your Corner" meet and greet. Authorities believe the gunman had specifically targeted Giffords. She is in critical condition after undergoing surgery for a single gunshot wound to the head, but doctors said they are optimistic over her prospects for recovery.

Eleven others were wounded in the shooting and six are dead, among them U.S. District Court Judge John Rolls, a friend of Giffords' who had stopped by the event to say hello after attending Mass, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said.

The shooting sent shock waves through Washington, where Giffords was regarded as gracious and kind, a moderate Democrat known for her dedication to her constituents and willingness to work across party lines.

In light of the shootings, all legislation on the House schedule for the coming week has been postponed, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced in a statement.

"This has not become the nice United States of America that most of us grew up in and I think its time we do the soul-searching," he said.

"The anger, the hatred the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous and unfortunately, Arizona has become the capital. We have become the mecca of prejudice and bigotry."

[Updated at 10:00 p.m. ET] A House vote scheduled for Monday on whether to repeal health care legislation has been postponed after Saturday's shooting.

All legislation on the House schedule for the coming week has been postponed in a decision by leaders of both political parties in the House so "we can take whatever actions may be necessary in light of today's tragedy," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said in a statement.

[Updated at 8:55 p.m. ET] A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation says the Glock model 19 used in the shootings was purchased legally. The official did not have details at this time as to when and where the gun was purchased.

The gun was loaded with a 30-round magazine. The official said it is likely the extended magazine used in the shooting was purchased separately and at a different time. The official said such a magazine does not automatically come with a weapons purchase and that it would be extremely rare for them to be sold together in one purchase.

The official said the suspect had purchased another gun a few years ago but this person did not know the details about what happened to that weapon and if the alleged shooter still owned it.

Law enforcement is actively searching for a "person of interest" who is a white male in his 50s believed to have assisted the suspect in a shooting, Dupnik said.

A suspect who Dupnik would not name is in the custody of the Pima County Sheriff's Office, he said. The suspect has had previous contact with law enforcement "regarding threats" to kill, Dupnik said, and described him as having a "troubled past."

"There's reason to believe this individual has a mental issue and I think that people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol," he said.

"Vitriol" in public debate was a recurring theme in Dupnik's remarks as he blasted the media for "the vitriolic rhetoric" heard on television and radio.

[Updated at 7:57 p.m. ET] Gabe Zimmerman, director of community outreach for U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was among those killed in Saturday's shooting at a constituents meeting outside a Tucson Safeway, Gifford press secretary CJ Karamargin said.

Zimmerman was the staff member who set up today’s event in Giffords’ district, Karamargin said. The Tucson native was engaged to be married.

[Updated at 7:43 p.m. ET] The Army said in a statement that the suspect in the shooting was never in the Army.

"He attempted to enlist in the Army but was rejected for service. In accordance with the Privacy Act, we will not discuss why he was rejected," the Army said in a statement.

[Updated at 7:21 p.m. ET] Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect, had a limited presence on social-media sites, including YouTube and MySpace. Here's a sampling of some of the messages that CNN found on Loughner's pages:

[Updated at 7:12 p.m. ET] The University of Arizona's men's basketball game against Stanford University has been postponed following the shootings.

"The University feels the game should be delayed with deep respect to the victims and families impacted by this tragedy," Arizona athletics director Greg Byrne said.

The game will be played at 12:30 p.m. MST Sunday.

[Updated at 6:48 p.m. ET] Saturday's deadly shootings at an Arizona constituency meeting outside a Tucson Safeway appear to have “no nexus to terrorism," a law enforcement official said.

This official did not know if there had been any recent threat against Rep Giffords but said there are frequent threats to various members of Congress, mostly via phone calls or e-mails, or mailed threats.

[Updated at 6:30 p.m. ET] U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts released this statement on the death of U.S. District Court Chief Judge John Roll, who was killed in the shootings:

"Chief Judge John Roll was a wise jurist who selflessly served Arizona and the nation with great distinction, as attorney and judge, for more than 35 years. I express my deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his children, as well as the other victims and their families. Chief Judge Roll’s death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it."

[Updated at 6:16 p.m. ET] The Tea Party released this statement regarding the shootings:

“We at the Tea Party Express are shocked and saddened to hear about the terrible tragedy that took place in Tucson today. It is appalling that anyone would commit such unthinkable violence against Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, her staff, a sitting federal judge and the many other victims and families impacted.

"These heinous crimes have no place in America, and they are especially grievous when committed against our elected officials. Spirited debate is desirable in our country, but it only should be the clash of ideas. An attack on anyone for political purposes, if that was a factor in this shooting, is an attack on the democratic process. We join with everyone in vociferously condemning it."

[Updated at 5:41 p.m. ET] ﻿﻿﻿Who is Gabrielle Giffords? She's a Democrat who was first elected in 2006. She has served as chairwoman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee and also holds seats on the House Science and Technology and Armed Services committees.

She won her third term in a closely contested race against a Tea Party-sponsored candidate and was one of three Democratic legislators who reported vandalism at their offices following the March vote on health care reform.

She is married to Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, a NASA astronaut who is scheduled to lead a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station. The two married in 2007, after meeting four years prior in China, as young leaders selected by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, Giffords told the New York Times in her wedding announcement.

The article described their courtship as a drawn-out affair between two deeply committed civic servants who slowly found their way to each other. When they met, Giffords was seeing someone and Kelly was married.

After Giffords split from her boyfriend, she invited Kelly to join her on a tour of the Arizona State Prison in Florence.

"I’d been working on legislation dealing with capital punishment. Mark is the son of police officers — well, he just really wanted to sit in ‘the chair,' " she told the newspaper.

The two married three years later, they married at an organic produce farm in Amado, Arizona, called Agua Linda. An avid recycler, Giffords wore a Vera Wang gown borrowed from a friend.

"To a bride who moves at a velocity that exceeds that of anyone else in Washington, and a groom who moves at a velocity that exceeds 17,000 miles per hour," a wedding guest said in a toast to the couple.

"I am just heartbroken. Gabby (Giffords) is more than just a colleague she is a friend. She has always been a noble public servant," an emotional Brewer said, pausing for composure.

"I ask the people of Arizona and the people of America to keep the victims and their families in their prayers, and pray for their recovery and pray that in Arizona we never have to experience a tragedy like this ever again."

Giffords publicized the "Congress on Your Corner" meet-up at the Safeway in her southern Arizona district on her Twitter account.

Judge John Roll, the chief judge on the U.S. District Court for Arizona, was among 6 people killed, along with a 9-year-old girl, officials said.

Witnesses said the gunman shot Giffords at point blank range through the head and then continued firing. The suspect, identified by law enforcement sources as Jared Lee Loughner, has been taken into custody.

[Updated at 4:52 p.m. ET] Chief Judge John Roll was among 6 people killed at an Arizona constituent meeting outside a Tucson grocery store Saturday.

[Updated at 4:30 p.m. ET] The suspect in a shooting at an Arizona constituent meeting outside a Tucson grocery story is a white male born in 1988, CNN's Jeanne Meserve has confirmed from a federal law enforcement source.

Six people have died, including a 9-year-old girl, and 12 were injured, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, authorities said.

[Updated at 4:07 p.m. ET] Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is in critical condition and a young child has died after a shooting at a political meeting at an Arizona grocery store, a hospital spokesman said Saturday.

Giffords, who was hosting the event, is under anesthesia after undergoing surgery for a single gunshot wound to the head "through and through," said Dr. Peter Rhee, Trauma Director at the University Medical Center in Tucson.

"The Congresswoman is not deceased. She is in critical condition," Rhee said in a press conference. "I am very optimistic about recovery."

Giffords publicized the "Congress on Your Corner" meet-up at the Safeway in her southern Arizona district on her Twitter account.

[Updated at 3:40 p.m. ET] Six people have died and 12 - including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords - were injured in a shooting at a political meeting at a Tucson, Arizona, grocery store Saturday, according to Rick Kastigar of the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

[Updated at 3:20 p.m. ET] A suspect is in custody in the shootings of at least 12 people, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, at a constituent meeting at an Arizona grocery store, the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement.

"The suspect is in custody. No further details on the motive or other victims are available at this time," the statement said. "The U.S. Capitol Police are directly involved in this investigation. As more information is developed, it will be provided. In the interim, all Members and staff are advised to take reasonable and prudent precautions regarding their personal security."

A statement from President Obama confirmed that some people had died.

"This morning, in an unspeakable tragedy, a number of Americans were shot in Tucson, Arizona, at a constituent meeting with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. And while we are continuing to receive information, we know that some have passed away, and that Representative Giffords is gravely wounded," he said.

"We do not yet have all the answers. What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society. I ask all Americans to join me and Michelle in keeping Representative Giffords, the victims of this tragedy, and their families in our prayers."

[Updated at 3:00 p.m. ET] Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is currently undergoing surgery for a gunshot wound to the head, a spokeswoman for the University Medical Center in Tucson said.

Nine patients were brought to the hospital, including a child. All of them are in either serious or critical condition and are undergoing surgery, spokeswoman Darci Slaten said.

A federal judge was also among those shot, a law enforcement official said. It is not clear whether he was among those taken to the hospital.

[Updated at 2:43 p.m. ET] There were conflicting reports Saturday about the condition of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords following a shooting Saturday at a Tucson, Arizona, grocery store. Giffords' press secretary said the congresswoman remains in surgery for her injuries, disputing an earlier report from a law enforcement source saying she had died.

[Updated at 2:23 p.m. ET] U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords died Saturday after a gunman opened fire at a Tucson, Arizona grocery store, a law enforcement source said. Giffords, who had been holding a meeting with constituents, was among at least 12 people shot.

[Updated at 1:51 p.m. ET] U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was among at least 12 people shot at a Tucson, Arizona, grocery store, a Democratic source told CNN's Dana Bash. The source called her injuries "pretty serious."

[Updated at 1:41 p.m. ET] U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was meeting with constituents at a Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Arizona, where at least 12 people were injured in a shooting shortly after 10 a.m. MST Saturday, a spokesman for the Pima County sheriff's Department said. It is unclear whether Giffords was among those hurt.

"Several" people were shot Saturday at a grocery store in Tucson,
Arizona, a spokesman for the Pima County Sheriff's Department said. No other details were immediately available.

soundoff(1,655 Responses)

RDB

Are you kidding me?? How pathetic and intelectually cowardly of all of you that are pointing fingers at the "Hate Inciters" I mean, come on!!! Listen to yourselves. Your argument is based totally on the the assumption that we as Americans (even this loon) do not have individual choices. That's the key here folks. CHOICE!!! This idiot murderer chose to do what he did. Boy, that's an age old idea, huh???? Americans actually have a choice????? REALLY???? But for those with absolutlety baseless arguments, it's much easier clearly categorize things like this to fully suit their political perspective. BROADEN your minds, folks!!! Rush, Palin, Hannity, Beck and whoever else you want to villify did not pull the trigger.

"Sarah is a evil woman, who will be leader of this country with all her lies. All these people death are down to her she is a vile evil woman I hope she dies."

I'm no fan of Sarah Palin, but how is what you said here any better than anything you're railing against? This kind of hateful and violent speech is equally unacceptable from either side. I don't care what anyone's political views are, I don't want to see them harmed.

Mein Kampf was written by the head of the National SOCIALIST German WORKERS Party. Hitler was not a right winger, he (the government) was running the companies in the Reich, property rights meant nothing to him. He hated capitalists. I think taking over the capitalist economy was not his FIRST priority, but he moved a great deal in that direction. Does anyone doubt that Hitler and the Nazis did not have full control over the economy and all spheres of society? Does anyone think there is any difference between Hitler and Stalin?

You ignorance about systems of government shows. I urge you to take time and read about the difference between dictatorships, communism, socialism, and democracy is. To draw a conclusion from either Nazi Germany or the old USSR to Democratic policy is part of the reason this rhetoric exist and causes people to go out and do acts of terrorism. There are plenty of Social-Democracy governments where the standard of living is higher, less violence, and people are happier. Taxes are higher, but people make more because the government protects the workers and workforce with good policy. Examples are Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Canada.... all have varying forms of what you call "scary socialism". Finally, the western governments with the biggest rift between rich and poor (USA and the UK) and the greatest number of social problems.

I do not think it is apporiate at this time to discuss haters in the political ring. I do wish to express my true sorrow for all who wereinjured or sadly died. This is a terrible crime against inocent people.

The vitriol and hatred coming out of Republicans in AZ has increased during the last few years after Napolitano left. Gov Brewer spews hate and just look at her contorted face when she has to defend against Democrats. Sen Russell Pearce is another one who spews hatred when he can get a camera on him. These people are the radical right wing of the LDS who totally control the politicis in Arizona. There is no dissent. There is no other opinions or discussions which the populace of AZ are privy to. There is only one newspaper, The Arizona Republic, which is cotrolled by the Republican media. The local TV stations are the same. There will be no negative news directed towards Republicans. Gun laws passed by this Gov and Legis are the most lenient in the nation and when lawmen are shot on routine traffic stops, no mention is allowed of these lenient laws. This sheriff knows what he's talking about.

I heard what the Sheriff of Arizona said earlier today & from what I now read in the comments he's right. It's not just Arizona, that's is sick with hatred, it's everywhere in America. And the journalists at CNN are not so lily-white either...not by a long shot. Your freedom of speech amendment should be changed as soon as possible because mouths of hate hide behind it to spout all their hate etc, without any form of fear of the law.

America will all be seen to be shocked & empathize with the Senator & all the other victim's of todays horror for a few days, weeks, maybe months & then it will all return to...as is...with the next victims of hate. It's a sorry state...it's a sad America. Go on, tell the truth! You agree with everything I write...beause it's so very true & you know it to be.

Condolences to all the victims of todays madness & deepest sympathy (RIP) to those who died...on this sad hate filled day in Arizona...& America. But America if you want to right it...you can. I'll change that to, you "Must"!

EXTRA EXTRA! WHITE, I repeat WHITE shooter kills and injures several people during a rally at a safeway market in Arizona. to be clear, no hispanics were involved, only a WHITE male 🙂 maybe two plus Palin and the tea party .... I wonder how many illegal immigratnts Arpaio and the governor caught while these people were getting shot by a WHITEEEE male.

Our little brown friends were probably busy raping, stealing and killing someone else. They should leave some place for the poor white kids among themselves, shouldn't they? Otherwise that would be racial discrimination, wouldn't it?

When JFK was shot in Dallas, we Dallasites had so live with that burden for decades ... yet we had nothing to do with it. His assassination was the work of a nut, just like this lunatic in Tucson. I don't hold the state of Arizona or the city of Tucson responsible for what happened. I don't hold the media responsible. I hold that one man and his hatred and total disrespect for human life responsible. To kill someone for their a political viewpoint is beyond comprehension to all good Americans ... no matter what their political beliefs. So don't let the haters on either side cloud this tragic incident.

Wait.....something doesn't add up. They say he had a 30-round extended magazine for the gun. People claim they heard 12 to 15 gunshots. Why would he be reloading? I smells some BS – someone is trying to play hero.

Teabaggers are just vicious phonies that have beliefs that have no basis in morality or common sense. They and the current Republican party created and nurtured this behavior. These people have no comprehension of what it is to be an american.

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